


Grey

by Smowkie



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Parents Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Shaving, mentions of adoptions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 04:10:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21068615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smowkie/pseuds/Smowkie
Summary: ”Hey, cozy,” Stiles said as he walked through the door. He toed out of his shoes, smiled at Derek, who came to meet him as he shrugged out of his coat, then he did a double-take when he was about to hang his coat up. ”Oh, hi.” He quickly got his coat onto the hook so he could cup Derek’s cheek and stroke his thumb over freshly shaven skin. ”It was a long time since I saw this. What’s the occasion?”Or: Derek and Stiles stress about grey hair in two parts.





	Grey

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: [【翻譯】中年灰](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21366352) by [SeijiShun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeijiShun/pseuds/SeijiShun)

> The last two for the [kissing prompt list](https://sterekshaven.tumblr.com/post/188350323957). Seijishun and Sleepycosima both asked for number 21, _on a place of insecurity_, so after some debating with myself, I wrote a little two-parter where Derek and Stiles both have a little crisis about grey hair. I hope you all like it! ♥
> 
> Tumblr posts: [Part 1](https://sterekshaven.tumblr.com/post/188414372017), [Part 2](https://sterekshaven.tumblr.com/post/188414392927)  
[Pillowfort post](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/880585)
> 
> Thank you to [Jessie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rieraclaelin) for looking this over for me! Any remaining mistakes are my own, please leave them alone =)

**Part 1**

”Hey, cozy,” Stiles said as he walked through the door. He toed out of his shoes, smiled at Derek, who came to meet him as he shrugged out of his coat, then he did a double-take when he was about to hang his coat up. ”Oh, hi.” He quickly got his coat onto the hook so he could cup Derek’s cheek and stroke his thumb over freshly shaven skin. ”It was a long time since I saw this. What’s the occasion?”

Derek shrugged. ”No occasion.” He leaned in for a quick kiss. ”How was work?”

Stiles squinted at Derek. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something was off. ”Work was fine,” he said, watching Derek. ”How was your day?”

”Fine,” Derek said. He looked _too_ casual, like he was working hard to be normal, to look relaxed. He rolled his eyes when Stiles kept watching him. ”I’m fine, work was fine.”

”Uh-huh,” Stiles said. ”So what’s up?”

”Nothing’s up,” Derek said, and he was starting to look more relaxed. ”Everything is fine, nothing happened, it’s all good.”

Stiles squinted at him again. ”Hm,” he said, then nodded. ”Okay.”

They were on the couch after dinner, Stiles tucked up against Derek’s side, his head on Derek’s shoulder. He looked at Derek’s mouth, at his chin, at his light stubble, and it hit him.

”Oh,” he said, and Derek turned his head to look at him with raised eyebrows.

”Oh?”

”You’re not old, you know,” Stiles said, and Derek frowned. ”30 isn’t old, especially not for you. I also liked those grey hairs in your beard.”

”There were more?” Derek asked, sounding upset, but then his frown deepened and he looked at the TV. ”It’s fine.”

Stiles sighed and sat up straighter so he could look at Derek properly. ”Don’t do that,” he said softly. ”Don’t say it’s fine when it’s bothering you. Talk to me, babe.”

Derek glared at the TV for a moment, his throat working, then he looked at Stiles and deflated. ”I _feel_ old,” he admitted quietly. ”You’re just 25, and I’ll be 30 in a couple of months, it feels… like a lot. And then I saw a white hair in my beard when I was brushing my teeth and I panicked, so I shaved it off.”

”Okay,” Stiles said. ”You’re not old, I get that it can feel like it, but you’re really not, and the grey in your beard, it doesn’t make you look old, it makes you look… I don’t know, mature? It’s a good look, though.”

”You really don’t mind?” Derek asked, and Stiles cupped his cheeks.

”I really don’t mind. But even if I hadn’t thought it looked good, it’s still all up to you, you know that.” He put one hand over Derek’s chest, the tips of his fingers just above the collar of his v-neck, touching his chest hair. ”If you want to shave it off or if you want to keep it.”

Derek smiled and took Stiles’ hand from his chest to hold it. ”I know that. Thank you,” he said.

”If the grey bothers you, you could always dye it?” Stiles said, because Derek _liked_ having a beard. ”Or there’s beard mascara that you could use just when you want to?”

Derek furrowed his brows as he held his arm out for Stiles, who leaned against him and put his head on his shoulder again.

”I don’t know,” Derek said.

”Either way, I don’t mind,” Stiles said. ”I like you with or without beard and with or without grey in it.”

”Thanks,” Derek said and pressed a kiss to Stiles’ forehead.

Derek didn’t shave for a few days, but he hadn’t left their house either, so Stiles wasn’t sure if it was because of that or because he had decided grey beard was okay after all. Stiles touched Derek’s chin, stroked his thumb over the grey, there wasn’t much, just a few hairs.

”Are you gonna keep it?” Stiles asked, and Derek took a deep breath that he let out in a heavy sigh.

”I don’t know yet,” he said.

”It looks nice,” Stiles said. ”Mom had a friend whose hair turned completely white before she was even 25. It’s not necessarily an indication of age.”

”I know,” Derek said. ”I still feel old with it.”

Stiles leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his chin, where the grey hairs were. ”Well, I love it,” he said. ”I love _you_, and I’ll love you whatever you decide to do about it.”

Derek smiled, ran a hand over his short beard. ”Thanks. I love you too.”

**Part 2**

As the years went on, Derek got more grey in his beard. Stiles loved it, it looked stupidly good on him, and when it started to spread to his head and chest too, Stiles couldn’t stop touching it, stroking it reverently.

His own hair stayed brown, something he didn’t really think about. They adopted kids - six of them, one infant, the rest aged 5 to 12 - that Derek stayed at home with while Stiles worked full time, and time flew by fast. Then one day, on the day their oldest daughter graduated from university, Stiles was in the bathroom getting ready. As he was shaving, standing close to the mirror with his head turned and tilted to see what he was doing, he noticed grey hairs by his temple.

”Oh god,” he breathed. He brushed his fingers over it and realized there was a whole bunch of them, so he checked his other temple. ”Oh no, oh god.”

”What’s wrong?” Derek called from the bedroom where he was getting dressed.

”Nothing’s wrong!” Stiles squeaked, but he couldn’t stop staring at his hair. He had no idea when that had happened.

”Stiles?” Derek asked from the doorway, frowning and looking concerned.

”I’m fine,” Stiles said, a little hysterical and looked at himself in the mirror. ”Oh my god.” He looked at Derek again, beautiful as always with his grey-streaked hair. ”Oh god.”

”What’s wrong?” Derek asked and walked up to Stiles, wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned his chin on Stiles’ shoulder as he looked at him in the mirror.

”I first thought I’m too young for this, but then I realized I’m 43,” Stiles said. ”What-. How did this happen, Derek? I have grey temples? When did this happen? I’m gonna blink and then I’ll be 70 and in some nursing home and-.”

”Stiles, babe,” Derek interrupted softly. He turned them so they were facing each other, smiled when he stroked his fingers through Stiles’ hair. Stiles’ _grey_ hair. ”You’re not old. And I like the grey.”

He took the safety razor from Stiles and finished shaving him with gentle hands, and Stiles closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

”You already knew,” Stiles said.

”Mhm,” Derek said.

”And you didn’t say anything.”

”I’ve been grey for almost twenty years,” Derek said. ”You’ve always told me it’s nice, that it isn’t something bad. I didn't think you’d care, to be honest.”

Stiles opened his eyes. ”Oh, I care,” he said. ”On you it’s pretty, and you got it so young, I just look old with it, because I _am_ old.”

”Hypocrite,” Derek said, smiling as he wiped Stiles’ face clean with a towel. He leaned in to press a kiss to his temple, on the grey hair. ”You look good, handsome. Beautiful as always.”

Stiles huffed, but he let Derek steer him to the bedroom so he could finish getting ready too. He could have his age crisis when they weren’t going to Em’s graduation.

Em beamed when she saw them, and she came running over to hug them both.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Stiles said when she was squeezing him tightly. She grinned as she pulled back, she was radiant, she looked so happy and excited, and Stiles grinned back. Then she looked at his temple. “No, ignore that!”

“Dude, dad, no,” Em said and looked at his other temple. “That’s so awesome, you look super handsome!”

Derek raised an eyebrow, a smug smile on his lips. “Told you,” he said quietly and leaned in to press a kiss to Stiles temple again.

“Could we maybe focus on our amazing daughter graduating today?” Stiles asked, and Em beamed again, bounced up and down.

“I’m graduating!”

“You’re a veterinarian!” Stiles said, and Derek pulled Em in for another hug.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” he said and Em’s smile was so big it barely fit on her face.

Stiles watched them hug, and as he stood there smiling he realized there were more important things in life than grey hairs. Plus he had Derek to kiss it all better.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated =) ♥
> 
> As usual, if I've missed or forgotten a tag, please let me know!


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